Cambodia is in Southeast Asia, also known as Kâmpŭchéa. More than a thousand years ago, Cambodia was the center of the Khmer (Cambodian) kingdom of Angkor, a great empire that dominated Southeast Asia for 600 years. Cambodia’s official name is the Kingdom of Cambodia. Cambodia is bounded on the northeast by Laos, on the east and southeast by Vietnam, on the west and northwest by Thailand, and on the southwest by the Gulf of Thailand (Siam) country’s capital and largest city is Phnom Penh.

TERRAIN : Most low flat plains with mountains in the north and southwest

TIME : GMT plus seven hours

PHONE CODE : ++855

ELECTRICITY: 220 V, 50 Hz

Cambodia lies in the tropical zone and is suitable to visit all the year round. The weather is hot all year but the months between November and March are a little cooler. From late May to late October rains can be expected, however it is not often that a whole day is ruined by rain: the tropical pattern is for short rainstorms, especially in the afternoon & evening. The sandstone monuments at Angkor are particularly beautiful after a rainstorm. In April and May, water levels in rivers and lakes may be low. In spite of these differences the seasonal variations in temperature are small, ranging between 21 to 35 degrees Celsius (70 to 95 F). Best time to visit: November to March yearly, other months are may be hot and humid.

Insect repellent, sun block lotion, hat and good walking shoes and comfortable cotton T-shirt with long or short pants recommended.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It’s absolutely essential to have adequate travel insurance covered, especially for the purposes of flight cancellation, delay or any other unexpected incidental cases occurred during the trip and to enjoy the journey with a peaceful mind. Take the travel insurance that meets your needs and understand its coverage.

VISA

The passport or travelling document needs to have more than 6 months validity at the time of entry. Traveller can apply the visa either at the Cambodian Embassy in Hong Kong, or apply upon arrival at the airport in Cambodia.

Electronic Visa:

Tourists to Cambodia can now apply for a visa online via the Ministry's new e-Visa site located at www.evisa.gov.kh Please follow the instructions on the e-Visa site.

You will need your passport and credit card to complete the process.

Fees: USD30 + USD7 (processing charge)

Processing time : 3 business days

Landing Visa or Visa On Arrival

Foreign Visitors are now able to obtain the Cambodia visa upon arrival at the airport

Just prepare the following documents:

* A completed visa application form

* A Passport with at least 6 months validity

* One recent photograph (2 inches x 2 inches)

* Appropriate visa fee (US$30)

* Important: In order to be admitted into the country, tourists may need to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds for their stay and a return ticket.

HEALTH

MALARIA - Most tourists to Cambodia only visit Siem Reap, the temples of Angkor and Phnom Penh. In all these areas malaria is NOT a significant problem for the visitor. So, if you only travel to these destinations, taking antimalarial drugs is really not necessary.

If you are travelling to the southern coast –like Mondulkiri, Ratannakiri and Kratie, please do take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites and contracting malaria.

Precautions

• Wear long sleeves and trousers, preferrably light-colored, and especially between dusk and dawn.

• Use insect repellent, mosquito coils etc

• Sleep under a mosquito net or in a screened room with a/c if possible

• Air conditioning does help keep the mosquitoes away due to the lower temperature.

• Avoid perfumed toiletries.

• Take antimalarial drugs to suppress infection when appropriate.

Malaria though potentially fatal, is treatable if diagnosed quickly.

DENGUE FEVER

Contrary to the mosquito carrying the malaria parasite which only bites at night, dengue fever is transmitted mainly during the day by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, popularly known as the ‘tiger mosquito’ as it wears yellow stripes. This mosquito is much more prevalent in densely populated areas than it is in the countryside, also contrary to the mosquito carrying malaria.

Dengue fever is a viral disease and, like malaria, symptoms of dengue fever resemble a bad case of flu, including high fever, headache, joint and muscle pains, nausea and vomiting. If there is such symptom, better to consult doctor as soon as possible.

There is only a small risk to travellers, except during epidemics, which usually occur during the wet season

( around June to Nov ). However, it is advisable to take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.

Friendly message from Cambodia Tourism Board

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire (8th to 16th centuries) and once the largest city in the world (12th century). Today, Angkor is still an active spiritual site for Buddhists and citizens who engage in daily worship, prayer and meditation. Angkor is also a living site where over 130,000 inhabitants have lived in for many generations.

The APSARA National Authority has been responsible for the conservation and sustainable development of Angkor since 1995. One of our goods is to harmonize tourist experiences with public safety and respect towards our community. This official Visitor Code of Conduct was designed to support this goal. It was developed in cooperation with local communities, visitors, tour guides and restoration teams.

To enhance your experience and to preserve Angkor for generations to come, we kindly urge you to observe the following points:

1. Dress Code

Revealing clothes such as shorts and skirts above the knees and showing bare shoulders are prohibited in sacred places Respectful dress is strongly

2. Monuments

Touching carvings, sitting on fragile structures, leaning on temple structures, moving archaeological artifacts and graffiti are strictly prohibited. Backpacks, umbrellas with sharp tips and tripods are discouraged from being brought inside the temples.

3. Sacred Sites

As Angkor is a sacred site, loud conversation and noise and other inappropriate behaviour in Cambodian culture in considered to be offensive and many disturb other visitors. Please keep calm and be respectful.

4. Restricted Areas

For your own safety and for the sustainability of Angkor, please comply with all signs on the site and be mindful of your steps at all times and do not climb on loose stones.

5. Smoking

As a member of the World Health Organization, Angkor has been a smoke free site since 2012. Smoking cigarettes disturbs others and cigarettes can start bush fires.

6. Candy or Money to Children

Giving candy or money to children encourages them not to attend school but to beg. If you wish to help the children, please consider donating to a recognized charity.

7. Monks

Monks are revered and respected. If you want to take pictures, please ask for permission first. Women should not touch nor stand or sit too close to monks.

Dine at the 3 restaurants to enjoy its good food and nice environment. These restaurants are under the TREE Alliance Group. As per Tree Alliance – the TREE restaurants are based upon a highly successful model of social business which provided not only positive beneficiary impact but also customer satisfaction and enhanced sustainability for the organization. All profits from TREE restaurants are invested on providing training and the social programs to support the former street children or other marginalized young people to becoming a skillful, productive and happy young person with a better future.

MONEY

The currency is the Cambodian Riel (KHR). 1 new Riel equals 100 sen.

The USD cash is widely used in Cambodia. It actually serves as a second currency that is more readily accepted in the country. Bring small denomination and clean USD notes with you. Even you do not need to exchange to local currency is fine. CREDIT CARD like Visa, American Express, Master card are widely accepted in the country.

You may also use ATM machines in Cambodia, it dispenses USD (although there are some where you can choose to have Khmer riels, but they are almost useless for tourists.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

It is the passengers responsibility to obtain all required travel documents, visas and permits, and for complying with the laws, regulations, orders, demands and other travel requirements of countries of origin, destination or transit.

Angkor Wat (Angkor means "city" and Wat "temple") – listed as of the UNESCO sites is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture from the Angkorian era, although hundreds of other temples have been discovered in and around the region. Out of bounds to tourists during the civil war, the temples gained particular worldwide attention after Ta Prohm and others were featured in the 2001 movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The Bayon, also at Angkor, is located at the center of Angkor Thom. It originally had 49 towers, although only 37 remain, each bearing four smiling faces. All the above sites are in the Siem Reap town.

Aside from visiting Siem Reap many tourists would like to stop in Phnom Penh to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the infamous prison of the Khmer Rouge, and Choeung Ek, one of the main Killing Fields; both display photographs, skulls and bones of victims of the auto genocide.

GRATUITY

The tipping is a usual practise in Cambodia. Drivers and Guides are expecting some reward as a gesture of satisfaction. Tipping suggestion is USD12.00 for guide and USD8.00 for driver daily per person (small group)

YOUR TOUR ARRANGEMENTS

All land arrangements within Cambodia are solely at the discretion of our land operators who control the final scheduling of sightseeing programs based on current situation of the day or period like weather, flight schedule, traffic condition etc……. Those situations are not under our control and cannot be held responsible for sudden changes. Please refer to our website : www.f56.com/Terms&Conditions.pdf

FRIENDLY REMINDER for souvenir products

While shopping for souvenir products in Cambodia is part of the overall visit in Cambodia for all travellers who have requested to take part of this experience, we recommend that travellers should choose these products carefully to avoid disappointment in term of quality of the products before deciding to purchase. However, should it turn out that the products be defected or did not measure to the perceived quality after the products has been purchased, the responsibility rest fully on the travellers and the suppliers (shop owners) who have made the exchange. We would like to remind all travellers that our company does not involve in any part of the exchange thus will assume no responsibility for the quality of any the souvenir products.